Auxiliary power-driven small engine starter



DA RUBEN L. BECK Jan. 10, 1967 AUXILIARY POWER-DRIVEN SMALL ENGINE STARTER Filed Sept. 21, 1964 United States Patent 3,297,010 AUXILIARY POWER-DRIVEN SMALL ENGINE STARTER Da Ruben L. Beck, Urlando, Fla, assignor of one-third to David E. McGinnis, Absecon, N "1., and one-third to 3 David E. Nickerson, Urlando, Fla.

Filed Sept. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 397,921 1 Claim. (11]. 123-179) This invention is related to mechanical starting devices, such as those used in connection with smaller size internal combustion engines which are commonly used on powerdriven lawn mowers, generators, garden tractors, etc.

Although some internal combustion engines used for such purposes are factory equipped with electrical powerdriven self-starting devices, the majority of such units, due to the high cost of production of such starting devices, are equipped only with some type of manually-operated starting device. These manually-operated starting devices usually consist of a starting rope and a notched pulley, around which the rope is to be wound, or it may consist of a heavy spring-driven type unit whereby the spring must be forcefully placed into a recoiled position by manual force and thereby released so as to give a thrust of energy.

Any internal combustion engine will respond much more readily to an even prolonged force of starting power rather than that which can be supplied by any manually operated starting device which can only create a short intermittent burst of power.

The main object of this invention is to provide an auxiliary power-driven small engine starter, having a constancy of force which derives its energy from a subsidiary power such as exerted by an ordinary portable electric hand drill of the type found in almost every household today, and to have such a starter so that it may become a permanent part of such an engine without interfering with the efficiency of the engine in any way, but which will assist in its efliciency of operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a starting device with constancy of force at a price range which will place it within the range of practicability for use with the smaller type internal combustion engines and which may be incorporated as a permanent partof the engine proper at the time of manufacture of the engine, or which may be readily installed in the field on engines which may have been in use for quite some time.

Another object of this invention is to provide an auX- iliary power-driven starting mechanism which not only can become a permanent part of the engine proper but upon which the original manual-operated type starter may also be permanently attached for use when an auxiliary powerdriven starter of this type is not convenient to be used.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a power-driven starting device for small type internal combustion engines. This invention, being foolproof in its operation, is simple in construction, having a minimum number of parts, and can be readily mass-produced and sold at a cost within the scope of everyone who has a need for such an item.

Other pertinent objects and advantageous items will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings I have illustrated, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a complete horizontal sectional view of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, of my new starting device.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal view taken along line B-B of FIGURE 2 and viewed in the direction as indicated by the arrows.

azamra Patented Jan. 10, 1967 FIGURE 4 is a design view of the flat thrust springs used in this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the reference numeral 19 designates a metal housing enclosure to encase the working mechanism of this invention. This housing is so designed that it may be permanently attached to the engine proper, not shown, through a number of holes such as those shown as 11 and 12, by bolts or a similar fastening device. The vertical power shaft 13 is fastened onto the male threaded portion of the engines crankshaft by the internal threaded portion 14 and thereby becomes a permanent continuation of the engines crankshaft itself. The circular nylon bearings 15 and 16 serve to keep the vertical shaft 13 in proper alignment with the engines crankshaft and also overcomes any horizontal side thrust which may be created by the mechanical working mechanism of the invention.

The upper portion of shaft 13 is threaded internally at point 17, thereby allowing the permanent installation of any manuallyoperated starting device for manual operation when this type of auxiliary power-driven starter is not desired to be used.

The metal flywheel flat drive pulley 18 is affixed to collar 19 by rivets or pins 21) and 21. The collar 19 is permanently aflixed to shaft 13 by pin 22. So that the outer surface of pulley 18 may contain a suitable surface for greater adherence for friction purposes, the outside flat surface of pulley 18 is permanently bonded with a coating of material such as hard neoprene rubber, illustrated by 23.

Numeral 24 represents a hard neoprene rubber roller, much smaller in diameter than that represented by the pulley 18. Roller 24 has complete freedom of circular movement and is encased by metal shoulder flanges 25 and 26, both at top and bottom. Shaft 27 extends downward through flange 26 through the center of roller 24 and continues on throughout flange 25, thereby creating an axle effect for roller 24-. Shaft 27 has circular grooves slightly set in from each end at points 28 and 29. Flat thrust springs 30 and 31 have an open end such as that illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. These are snapped into grooves 28 and 29, thereby serving as a key locking device to keep shaft 27 held into proper position Within flanges 25 and 26. Flanges 25 and 26 are encased within oblong nylon bearings 32 and 33. Bearings 32 and 33 are of such design so as to have an interior with an oblong effect, having a greater lineal dimension than the outside shoulder diameter, as shown on flanges 25 and 26 and thereby creating spaces 34 and 35 to the left of flanges 25 and 26. The opposite ends of thrust springs 30 and 31 have a peculiar design as shown at points 36 and 37 so as to allow them to be held in place at points 38 and 39 which represent slots within the metal housing 10. Springs 30 and 31 are illustrated in FIGURE 1 as being in an unforced position and therefore have the roller 24 located quite some distance away from pulley 18 and thereby creating no contact with the outside surface of of rotation.

Roller 40 is of a softer neoprene rubber material than that used in roller 24, although they may not be of the same diameter. The purpose of a softer neoprene rubber material in the construction of roller 40 is to give it elasticity so that roller 4-0 may change its normal appearance, should a force be directed towards its outer surface. Roller 40 is encased at the bottom by shoulder flange 41 similar to that in construction to flanges 25 and 26. The top portion of roller 40 is enclosed by a flat washer 42, atop of which is an independent shank 43 through which a cap screw 44 is held into place by being threaded into shaft 45. The shoulder portion of flange 41 extends downward through circular nylon bearing 46 and the shank 43 extends upward through circular nylon bearing 47 so as to hold roller 4t in a perfect vertical position.

The mechanical position of this invention as illustrated in FIGURE 1 is indicated as being in a neutral position of being dormant or having the pulley 18 in circular rotation in conjunction with the engines crankshaft being in running operation.

The enlarged fragmentary view, as illustrated in FIG- URE 2, indicates an electric drill bit 48 especially adapted for electric drills of ordinary power. This type of bit can be of various designs as long as it is compatible for insertion within capscrew 44 of the same design. After the proper insertion of drill bit 48 within capscrew 44, as the electrical energy is applied to the electric drill, not shown, so as to create a circular motion of drill bit 48, thereby creating a forceful circular torque in a clockwise direction. The circular movement of drill bit 48 causes roller 40 to also move in a clockwise direction at the same r.p.m. as the chuck of the electric drill itself. As the roller 40 is rotating in a clockwise direction, vertical downward pressure is applied in the direction of the arrow A. This downward force tends to allow shank 43 to traverse downward through bearing 47, thereby applying a greater thrust on washer 42. Due to the fact that flange4ll is permanently held within bearing 46 as far as vertical movement is concerned, shaft 45 therefore moves downward through flange 41, creating a lesser height of roller 44 than it would normally be, were it in a position of rest. As the height of roller 40 decreases, the diameter of roller 40 tends to increase with a horizontal movement being in the direction of roller 24. The pressure of enlarged roller 40, while having a clockwise rotary movement, tends to drive roller 24 in a counterclockwise direction at the same speed of rotation and also forces roller 24 horizontally to the left, which is allowed by the hori- Zontal movement of flanges 25 and 26 being encased Within oblong bearings 32 and 33. As this horizontal movement of roller 24 is executed while rotating in a counterclockwise direction, a driving force is applied against the surface 23 of pulley 18 in a circular clockwise movement. Due to roller 24 being of a smaller diameter than that of pulley 18, a great force of starting torque is given to the engine proper through shaft 13.

As the engine becomes self-sufficient in its operation of rotation, downward pressure is released on the bit 48, thereby allowing roller 40 to return to its proper height. As roller 40 attains its original physical shape, the force of springs 36) and 31 moves roller 24 to the right horizontally, thereby becoming free from contact with pulley 18, as shown in FIGURE 1. Roller 24 ceases to rotate as pulley 18 continues to rotate with the crankshaft of the engine proper as long as the engine itself continues in operation.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes in the shape, proportion and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention itself, as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a starter mechanism for an internal combustion engine having an engine driving shaft with one end projecting from the engine, the improvement comprising a flywheel having a cylindrical rim, means for connecting said flywheel in driving relation with the projecting end of said driving shaft, a friction gear train for engaging the rim of said flywheel to drive the flywheel and crank said engine, said gear train including a drive roll of compressible rubber-like material and an idler roll, said rolls being mounted on axis parallel with one another and with the axis of said flywheel, means including a frame for rotatably supporting said drive roll in a fixed, radial position with respect to said flywheel and for rotatably supporting said idler roll for radial movement into, and out of, contact with the rim of said flywheel, and drive means for said drive roll to connect with a power source, said means being movable to apply a force to also compress said drive roll axially to thereby expand said roll diametrically forcing said idler roll to engage and drive said flywheel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1942 Fitzgerald 74--2l4 9/1957 Pechin 123-179 X 

